Contract Termination Manchester United tipped to appoint ‘rising star’ after sacking Ten Hag with ex-Tottenham target identified
Manchester United have been tipped to appoint Feyenoord manager Arne Slot if they choose to sack Dutch head coach Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag is at the start of his second season in charge at Old Trafford but he is already under a lot of pressure.
The Red Devils enjoyed a fruitful season under the Dutchman in 2022/23 as they won the Carabao Cup and finished in the top four. But they have lost three of their first five games of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
There is absolutely no suggestion that they are about to sack Ten Hag but clearly this situation will not be tolerated indefinitely.
Slot meanwhile has emerged as one of the most admired young coaches in Europe. He was targeted by Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur last season but he ended up helping Feyenoord win the Eredivisie title.
Dutch outlet 1908.nl (via Sport Witness) are now claiming ‘there’s a real chance’ that Man Utd pursue Slot if they decide to part company with Ten Hag.
It is suggested that Ten Hag has ‘created zero value’ since arriving at Man Utd, while Slot is considered the ‘real rising star’ in the managerial game.
It is also claimed that Slot ‘deserves more credit’ for the job he has been doing at Feyenoord and it’s hinted that he will be in line for a move to a European giant in the near future.
Ten Hag recently admitted that he knows he is under “pressure” following Man Utd’s worrying start to the new season.
“The pressure is always there. It was last year and this year is no different,” Ten Hag said.
“Of course, at United, you have to win your games. We have to improve and I can’t be distracted. We have to improve. Individuals have to step up. Sometimes you are in bad periods and you have to face that.”
In an exclusive interview with TEAMtalk, Robbie Savage claimed that “it might be time for a change” if Man Utd are not in a better position “by Christmas”.
“If things don’t change by Christmas, I think it might be time for a change,” Savage told TEAMtalk.
“If results continue in this vein, and at Christmas, it’s no better, of course [the axe could fall]. “I think results will dictate what happens for Hag, because, we will know by then where they are with the Champions League.
“And if they’ve failed to qualify from the group stages, and either drop in to the Europa League or out of the competition altogether, then I think that will inevitably defy what happens for the rest of the season. But the time to act is not now; it is still two and a half months away.”
